Lung Cancer
Everything You Need To Know About Lung Cancer
Lung cancer starts to develop in the cells of the lungs. This causes tumors in the lungs. This can affect the ability to breath of the person and can also spread in the other parts of the body. It is the third most common cancer. Smoking plays a major factor in developing lung cancer but not everyone who smokes can develop it.
There are several types of lung cancer, and given the higher mortality rate, treatment needs to be regular for most of these types. That has been difficult the past few months because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But, Dr. Dodul Mondal, the best lung cancer doctor in Delhi NCR, and his team have found a way to ensure lung cancer patients get what they need even during the pandemic. They are offering telemedicine services, chemotherapy at home, and video as well as phone consultations while maintaining all Covid-19 precautions to their lung cancer patients.
TYPES OF LUNG CANCER
There are main two types of lung cancer non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.
- Non-small cell lung cancer
- Adenoacarcinoma
- Squamous cell cancer
- Large cell carcinoma.
- Small cell lung cancer
Around 13% of lung cancer cases in the U.S. are small cell. This type tends to grow more quickly than non-small cell lung cancer.
Lung Carcinoid Tumor
This is the basic knowledge of the three main types of lung cancer. Less than 5% of lung cancers analyzed each year are lung carcinoids. These moderately developing cancers sometimes spread. Lung carcinoid tumors are sometimes called neuroendocrine tumors. Best lung cancer treatment doctor in Delhi, use the TNM system to arrange lung cancer carcinoids, just like NSCLC.
Symptoms And Sign
There can be no symptoms until the later stage in a person. If symptoms appears that can be like respiratory infection.
Some possible symptoms are:
- Changes to a person’s voice, such as hoarseness.
- Frequent chest infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia.
- Swelling in the lymph nodes in the middle of the chest.
- A lingering cough that may start to get worse.
- Chest pain.
- Shortness of breath and wheezing.
In time, a person may also experience more severe symptoms, such as:
- Severe chest pain.
- Bone pain and bone fractures.
- Headaches.
- Coughing up blood.
- Blood clots.
- appetite loss and weight loss.
- Fatigue
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Other type of Cancer
Stages
The stages of cancer depends on how far it has spread in the body and how severe it is.
Staging helps the doctor Best lung cancer doctor in Delhi to decide the type of treatment of the patient.
Types of stages:
- localized, where the cancer is in limited area
- regional, where the cancer has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes
- distant, where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body
Stages of Non Small Cell Lung Cancer
Occult, or hidden: The cancer does not show up on imaging scans, but cancerous cells might appear in the phlegm or mucus.
Stage 0: In the top layers of cells lining the airways There are abnormal cells
Stage 1: A tumor is present in the lung within the 4 centimeters (cm) or under and has not spread to other parts of the body.
Stage 2: The tumor is 7 cm or under and might have spread to nearby tissues and lymph nodes.
Stage 3: The cancer has spread to lymph nodes and reached other parts of the lung and surrounding area.
Stage 4: The cancer has spread to distant body parts, such as the bones or brain.
Stages of Small Cell Lung Cancer
After being diagnosed with lung cancer. Lung cancer specialist in Delhi NCR will figure out how far it has spread. Small cell lung cancer is categorized into two category that is limited stage and extensive stage.
Limited stage:
In this stage the cancer is only on one side of the chest and can be treated. In this less tumor are spread in the lungs and can be treated.
Cancer in lymph nodes above the collarbone (called supraclavicular nodes) might still be considered limited stage as long as they are on the same side of the chest as the cancer. Some doctors also include lymph nodes at the center of the chest (mediastinal lymph nodes) even when they are closer to the other side of the chest.
Extensive stage:
In this the cancer has spread widely throughout the lungs and other parts of the chest. Many doctors consider SCLC that has spread to the fluid around the lung to be extensive stage as well. About 2 out of 3 people with SCLC have extensive disease when their cancer is first found.
Treatment And Diagnosis
There are various types of cancer treatment, it depends on the stage on which a person is and how advance it is.
Some people have only one cancer treatment but many have combination of treatments like surgery with chemotherapy or radiation therapy at the same time.
Types of treatment
Surgery
Once you are under anesthesia, the surgeon will remove the tumor with some healthy tissue surrounding it. Removing the healthy tissue helps improve the chances that all the cancer cells has removed.
Surgery may be open or minimally invasive.
In open surgery, the surgeon will remove the tumor, some healthy tissue, and maybe some nearby lymph nodes.
In minimally invasive surgery, the surgeon makes a few small cuts instead of one large one. She inserts a long, thin tube with a tiny camera into the small cut. This tube is called a laparoscope. The camera projects images from the inside of the body onto a monitor, which allows the surgeon to see what she is doing. She uses special surgery tools that are inserted through the other small cuts to remove the tumor and some healthy tissue.
Radiation therapy
At high doses, radiation therapy kills cancer cells or slows their growth by damaging their DNA. Cancer cells whose DNA is damaged beyond repair stop dividing or die. When the damaged cells die, they are broken down and removed by the body.
Radiation therapy does not kill cancer cells instantly. It takes days or weeks of treatment before DNA is damaged enough for cancer cells to die. Then, cancer cells keep dying for weeks or months after radiation therapy ends.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is used to treat many types of cancer. For some people, chemotherapy may be the only treatment you receive. But most often, you will have chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. The types of treatment that you need depends on the type of cancer you have, if it has spread and where, and if you have other health problems.
Immunotherapy
As part of its normal function, the immune system detects and destroys abnormal cells and most likely prevents or curbs the growth of many cancers. For instance, immune cells are sometimes found in and around tumors. These cells, called tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes or TILs, are a sign that the immune system is responding to the tumor. People whose tumors contain TILs often do better than people whose tumors don’t contain them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cancer is a condition in which the body’s cells proliferate unchecked. Lung cancer is the name for cancer that first appears in the lungs.
In addition to lymph nodes and other bodily organs including the brain, lung cancer can also start in the lungs. Lung cancer can potentially spread from other organs. Metastases are cancer cells that have spread from one organ to another.
Small cell and non-small cell lung tumours are the two primary subtypes that are typically recognised (including adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma). These distinct forms of lung cancer develop differently and respond to various therapies. Compared to small cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer is more prevalent. Visit Lung Cancer at the National Cancer Institute for further details.
Depending on the type of lung cancer and how far it has gone, there are many treatment options. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of these therapies may be used to treat non-small cell lung cancer patients. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are frequently used in the treatment of people with small cell lung cancer.
- Surgery. A procedure when cancerous tissue is removed by physicians.
- Chemotherapy. Using unique medications to reduce or eradicate the cancer. The medications may be taken orally, administered intravenously, or occasionally both.
- Radiation therapy. Using X-ray-like high-energy radiation to eradicate the cancer.
- Targeted therapy. Use medication to stop the development and spread of cancer cells. The chemicals may be administered intravenously or as tablets. Before using targeted therapy, tests will be performed to see whether it is appropriate for the type of cancer you have.
Various medical professions frequently collaborate to treat lung cancer. Pulmonologists are medical professionals that specialize in lung conditions. Doctors who conduct procedures are known as surgeons. Chest, heart, and lung surgery is the area of expertise for thoracic surgeons. Oncologists are medical professionals who use medication to treat cancer. Radiation oncologists are medical professionals who use radiation to treat cancer.
The majority of lung cancers are caused by smoking, in both smokers and those who are exposed to secondhand smoke. However, nonsmokers and individuals who have never been exposed to secondhand smoke for an extended period of time are also susceptible to lung cancer. There may not be a definite aetiology of lung cancer in certain situations.
Smoking’s link to lung cancer
According to doctors, smoking harms the cells that coat the lungs, which in turn promotes lung cancer. The lung tissue changes practically quickly after inhaling cigarette smoke, which is loaded of cancer-causing agents (carcinogens).
Your body might be able to heal this harm initially. However, the healthy cells that lining your lungs suffer increased harm with each subsequent encounter. Damage over time results in aberrant cell behaviour, which may eventually lead to the development of cancer.
Your chance of developing lung cancer may be impacted by several variables. You may reduce certain risk factors, like smoking, by giving it up. Additionally, certain circumstances, like your family history, are beyond of your control.
Lung cancer risk factors include:
- Smoking. The quantity of cigarettes you smoke each day and the length of time you have been smoking both raise your chance of developing lung cancer. You may dramatically reduce your risk of lung cancer by quitting at any age.
- Exposure to secondhand smoke. Even if you don’t smoke, being around secondhand smoke raises your chance of developing lung cancer.
- Previous radiation therapy. You may be at a higher risk of developing lung cancer if you’ve had chest radiation therapy for another form of cancer.
- Exposure to radon gas. The natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water results in the production of radon, which eventually finds its way into the air you breathe. Radon may build up to unsafe levels in any structure, including dwellings.
- Exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens. Your chance of developing lung cancer can rise if you work with asbestos and other cancer-causing agents including arsenic, chromium, and nickel, especially if you smoke.
- Family history of lung cancer. Lung cancer risk is higher in people who have a parent, sibling, or child who has the disease.
Your doctor may run a series of tests to check for malignant cells and rule out other disorders if there is cause to believe you may have lung cancer.
Tests may include:
- Imaging tests. An abnormal tumor or nodule in your lungs might be seen on an X-ray. Small lung lesions may not be seen on an X-ray but can be seen on a CT scan.
- Sputum cytology. When sputum is coughed up and examined under a microscope, lung cancer cells can occasionally be seen. This is especially true if you have a cough and are producing sputum.
- Tissue sample (biopsy). A process known as a biopsy allows for the removal of a sample of aberrant cells. A biopsy can be done in a number of methods by your doctor, including bronchoscopy, which involves passing a lit tube down your neck and into your lungs to examine for abnormal lung tissue. Another choice is mediastinoscopy, which involves making a small incision at the base of your neck and having surgical instruments inserted beneath your breastbone to collect tissue samples from lymph nodes. Another choice is a needle biopsy, in which your doctor guides a needle through your chest wall and into the lung tissue using X-ray or CT images in order to collect suspicious cells.
Your specific form of lung cancer will be determined by a careful examination of your cancer cells in a lab. The outcomes of complex tests can provide your doctor with information on the distinct properties of your cells that can assist in determining your prognosis and directing your therapy.
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